Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

SAUGERTIES, New York, Sept. 12–Lauren Sammis and Sagacious HF won their 11th Grand Prix class of the year Saturday at the New England Dressage Association’s Fall Festival World Cup competition.

Displaying more confidence and strength than in the previous 16 Grand Prix level classes the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding has competed in this year, the Hyperion Farm’s horse posted a score of 70.085 per cent.

Tina Konyot and Calecto V of North Stonington, Connecticut, placed second with 68.596 per cent and Wellington, Florida-based Lars Petersen and Naomi of Denmark were third on 68.000 per cent.

The Grand Prix was perhaps the biggest in the history of NEDA’s Fall Festival with 26 starters, with more Canadian than U.S. horses. Heavy rain throughout Friday continued into Saturday morning, but by mid-afternoon the Hits in the Sun hunter/jumper and dressage showgrounds three hours north of New York City began to dry out.

“Sagacious is much, much more confident,” said Sammis of South Orange, New Jersey.

“It’s not so new for him, he is used to it.

“Our mantra now is stronger and better.

“When we were in Florida last winter first showing Grand Prix we were going through the patterns.

“Now we go through the patterns and each time he gets to know it better. Now we can deal with the different movements, work on improving the piaffe and passage or the one-tempis.

“Hopefully in a year we will both have it all together,” she said, referring to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky which is their focus.

Sammis said she would compete Sagacious at Dressage at Devon World Cup show in Pennsylvania nexy month then save the horse for the highly competitive Florida winter circuit where she plans to build toward the trials next August at which the WEG team will be selected.

Tina Konyot sat out most of the last winter after she broke her ankle in nine places in a fall at her her home that prevented her riding. She competed Calecto successfully in Palm Beach in April.

However, this was the biggest stage for the pair this year.

Petersen, who lives year-round in South Florida, has been competing Naomi, owned by Janet Bell, for the past several months.

“We’re really happy with the way things are going,” Janet said. “We’re just having a good time, enjoying seeing our horse compete.”

The top finishing Canadian was Jacqueline Brooks on her 2008 Olympic mount Gran Gesto who scored 66.809 per cent to finish fourth.

Todd Flettrich of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, competed Otto for the first time in the United States since returning from Germany where they trained with Hubertus Schmidt and competed in German shows.

Flettrich and Otto, who was ridden by the USA’s Heather Blitz before being bought by Cherry Knoll Farm, scored 66.553 per cent to place sixth.

In the CDI Junior Individual competition, Isabelle Leibler of Wellington, Florida, was the champion on the nine-year-old Danish pony Dream Light that she has been riding for two years. They scored 64.105 per cent.